The annual garage/psych extravaganza is back on in Toronto this coming weekend. The Night Owl Festival has brought in some amazing bands from all over the world such as King Khan & The Shrines, Night Beats, Michael Rault, Pearl Earl and the Allah-Las but also boasts some of the top local bands on the circuit. Here are the locals you won’t want to miss:

Brenda – A Deli favorite; Brenda brings a big fuzzy intensity along with a unique loud/quiet dynamic that makes you wanna bang your head and lock your doors simultaneously. Brenda will be playing Friday at The Horseshoe Tavern.

Vypers – Heavy garage rock influenced by that California psych sound. These guys have really come into their own with the release of their latest EP “Champion 100”. “Mr.Girl” is a highlight where they add some nice melodies to their garage rock chaos. Vypers also play Saturday Night at Lee’s Palace

Luna Li – She is known as the garage rock princess of Toronto. Luna Li plays both guitar and violin which makes for a wild combo. She released a new single “Silver Into Rain” over the summer and will be playing the closing show for The Night Owl Festival on Sunday at the Rec Room.

All shows will also include tarot card readings, facepainting, colouring and so much more. Ticket and event information here. - Kris Gies

Here’s a really cool video from one of the top bands bursting from Toronto’s thriving garage/pysch scene. Brenda has released a new single from their upcoming EP “Creeeper”. “Children” sneaks along with a creepy pace and the video falls right in line with that ambience. They smoothly transition from dark clown quiet riffage to a frenetic blend of fuzz, verb and more fuzz. You should watch this video alone late at night while playing Resident Evil on Playstation 1. Brenda plays Friday (October 20) at The Monarch Tavern with Crazy Bones and Pink Acid Wash. – Kris Gies

Garage rockers Brenda put a lo-fi psych spin on their jarring tunes. They find a lot of joy in noise and dissonance, but their songs are still catchy in their own burnt out way. Back in April, the band released a couple of songs that introduced us to their frenetic sound. "ICU" is a plucky tune that screeches into a hypno-heavy finale, while “Sally’s Spit” brims with raw, chaotic energy. The band begs to be heard live. Lucky for us, they're playing a show on December 3rd at the Silver Dollar with Magic Shoppe, B-17, and Dong Vegan.

Brenda: Depends on who you ask – to some, Brenda started in a basement in Mt. Pleasant with two coworkers named Steve Kane and Otis Quincy who only practiced one song for two years. They called it "The Song", as in, "Ok, do you want to practice The Song tonight?"

For others, it was in a living room in Petworth, or a sidewalk outside the Velvet Lounge.

But DC is definitely our home.

What's the story behind the name Brenda?

Brenda is breezy, it starts with a hard syllable, it's short, to the point. And we were drunk.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Talking Heads. B-52s. David Bowie. The Stooges. The Police. Gang of Four. Sonic Youth. Echo and the Bunnymen.

What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

Some dirty punk rock show in someone's basement back in high school. Those were the days. Ace of Base’s The Sign.

What do you love about DC's music scene?

The people.

What would you like to see change in the local music scene?

More practice space that’s affordable and accessible. Brenda is lucky now to have such accommodating roommates and neighbors, but we've been kicked out of a couple stuffy DC row houses in the past. It's hard to play music in a city sometimes, especially since there are almost no practice spaces for rent at affordable prices in DC. Also, we'd LOVE to see more venues. There are several popping up now, DIY spaces and bars up 14th street. Brenda’s played her fair share of Ethiopian restaurants, no doubt. But the more, the better - that helps fight a tendency within DC (and probably any city) for exclusion and exclusivity of smaller, lesser-known artists coming up.

What are your plans for the upcoming year?

Write more music, play more music, eat more sandwiches.

What was your most memorable live show?

Brenda loved playing the protest outside the Russian Embassy last summer. We all got to wear dresses, which totally makes sense considering how hot it gets here.

Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?

Tony Porreco of Hometown Sounds (and Black Checker guitarist) is a huge support and encouragement for local bands, Brenda included. He comes to all of our shows.

And Mark Kennedy from Möbius Strip. He believed in Brenda before she believed in herself, and comes to all of her shows too.

There’s Jon Weiss from The Sea Life, who asked us to play with them at the Black Cat – we almost fainted. And all the neighbors, roommates, and friends who put up with our noise. Al's dad for letting him play his prized guitar at his first show when Al was 16. And our band stylist Tricia Aung. And Dave's mom.

Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?

Tequila and ear plugs. Because. And that guitar Al broke in half, then glued and nailed back together.

Brenda: Depends on who you ask – to some, Brenda started in a basement in Mt. Pleasant with two coworkers named Steve Kane and Otis Quincy who only practiced one song for two years. They called it "The Song", as in, "Ok, do you want to practice The Song tonight?"

For others, it was in a living room in Petworth, or a sidewalk outside the Velvet Lounge.

But DC is definitely our home.

What's the story behind the name Brenda?

Brenda is breezy, it starts with a hard syllable, it's short, to the point. And we were drunk.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Talking Heads. B-52s. David Bowie. The Stooges. The Police. Gang of Four. Sonic Youth. Echo and the Bunnymen.

What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

Some dirty punk rock show in someone's basement back in high school. Those were the days. Ace of Base’s The Sign.

What do you love about DC's music scene?

The people.

What would you like to see change in the local music scene?

More practice space that’s affordable and accessible. Brenda is lucky now to have such accommodating roommates and neighbors, but we've been kicked out of a couple stuffy DC row houses in the past. It's hard to play music in a city sometimes, especially since there are almost no practice spaces for rent at affordable prices in DC. Also, we'd LOVE to see more venues. There are several popping up now, DIY spaces and bars up 14th street. Brenda’s played her fair share of Ethiopian restaurants, no doubt. But the more, the better - that helps fight a tendency within DC (and probably any city) for exclusion and exclusivity of smaller, lesser-known artists coming up.

What are your plans for the upcoming year?

Write more music, play more music, eat more sandwiches.

What was your most memorable live show?

Brenda loved playing the protest outside the Russian Embassy last summer. We all got to wear dresses, which totally makes sense considering how hot it gets here.

Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?

Tony Porreco of Hometown Sounds (and Black Checker guitarist) is a huge support and encouragement for local bands, Brenda included. He comes to all of our shows.

And Mark Kennedy from Möbius Strip. He believed in Brenda before she believed in herself, and comes to all of her shows too.

There’s Jon Weiss from The Sea Life, who asked us to play with them at the Black Cat – we almost fainted. And all the neighbors, roommates, and friends who put up with our noise. Al's dad for letting him play his prized guitar at his first show when Al was 16. And our band stylist Tricia Aung. And Dave's mom.

Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?

Tequila and ear plugs. Because. And that guitar Al broke in half, then glued and nailed back together.

The Deli Magazine was born in NYC's Attorney Street in 2004, in the shape of a print issue with a then unknown band on its cover, called Grizzly Bear. Ths NYC blog came in 2005, then the SF one in 2006, and then 9 more in the following years. The Deli is focused on the coverage of emerging bands and solo artists with a 100% local focus - no exceptions!